


A Gift of You

by kerithwyn



Series: Beyond the Fringe: Tales from the Kinkmeme [19]
Category: Fringe
Genre: Community: trope_bingo, F/M, Fringe Kink Meme, Holidays, Multi, OTP+1, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-05 23:43:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1099947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kerithwyn/pseuds/kerithwyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A very special moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Gift of You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elfin (crazylittleelf)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazylittleelf/gifts), [Mona (monanotlisa)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monanotlisa/gifts), [rainer76](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainer76/gifts), [ziparumpazoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ziparumpazoo/gifts).



> Fill for trope_bingo 2013 Round Two: holidayfic, and written for the [Fringe kinkmeme](http://fringe-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/) using the following prompt:
> 
> Olivia/Peter/Astrid, for a long time Peter thought they were nothing more than colleagues. Turns out Astrid and Olivia were very good at keeping their professional relationship professional, even when the rest of it got complicated.
> 
> This was also an excuse to steal back story from some of my favorite _Fringe_ authors. (Supposed to be done two years ago, so belated, far too short, and porn!fail to boot...but the thankfulness for your work stands.)

Despite himself Peter keeps thinking about Olivia and Astrid’s  kiss under the mistletoe, and what led up to it. And thinking about it, until it just seems silly not to ask.

He catches Olivia in a quiet corner of the lab the next day. “When Astrid kissed you....”

Olivia turns, mouth already quirking in a knowing smile. “Hmm?”

She was going to make him ask, then. Fair enough. “Looked, uh, friendly. More than friendly. _Practiced._ “

The smile evolves into a smirk. “Sure. We used to...’practice.’ Quite a lot.” She pauses on that, waiting for a reaction, searching his face.

Peter’s pretty sure his face isn’t reflecting anything but a helpless, dopey grin. “Sorry,” he says, gesturing toward his own expression. “You know. Typical male response.”

Olivia laughs, Peter suspects mostly at him, but that’s all right. It’s... _interesting,_ that they’ve been working together all this time and he’d never gotten a whiff of that aspect of their relationship. Interesting in a way that makes him more intrigued by both of them, because he’s the one who’s used to keeping secrets and hiding parts of his life from whatever persona he was running as part of a scheme. Not much call for that recently, but he’d been used to being the one holding all the hidden cards.

Old habits die hard, though, and he still has an ace up his sleeve. “As long as we’re trading ‘used to’s,’“ Peter says, drawing the words out, enjoying Olivia’s lifted eyebrow of interest, “Astrid never mentioned she’d been seeing you when I showed her my rope collection.”

Olivia stares at him for a long moment. He’s honestly beginning to be a little bit concerned when she bursts out laughing. “Oh, that minx. She never mentioned you to me, either.”

“Serious props for her discretion, then,” Peter says dryly, but he is honestly impressed again by Astrid’s ability to separate recreation from work, and not let the one interfere with the other. “When were you seeing each other?”

“It was a while ago. Before I got serious with John.” Olivia’s eyes drop briefly in remembrance, and then she goes on. “When I was pulled into Fringe Division, I asked for Astrid to be assigned here too. We agreed it’d be better to keep our relationship strictly professional at that point.” She stops, hesitating. “Well. Mostly professional. Things get...a little crazy around here, sometimes.”

And crazy demands its own answer. Peter smiles, knowing he was the cause of some of that crazy, not begrudging Olivia the comfort she’d found. “I’m glad she was there for you, then,” he says, and doesn’t say: _I’m here for you now._

Olivia seems to get the message anyway and steps in close to claim another kiss.

* * *

A year passes.

It’s a year of trials and even tribulations, but somehow they make it through, and it’s Christmas again. And this time, Walter doesn’t need to tack up the mistletoe to induce Peter and Olivia to kiss. 

They’re lying sticky and sated under the tree that Peter had so painstakingly decorated. The effort, Peter thinks, has been repaid in full. And more than full.

“We should,” Olivia muses against his chest, “get Astrid something considerably more interesting than a pony. As thanks for looking after Walter.”

Peter draws back to look at her, make sure he’s not misinterpreting her intent. The small, sly smile on her face tells him he’s translated correctly. “Is this why you wouldn’t tell me what you wanted for Christmas? You wanted a different kind of present?”

Olivia arches an eyebrow. “For both of us. But mostly for Astrid. She’s had a rough year.”

Peter can’t help the laugh that bubbles up from his chest. “And the best reward is...us?”

Olivia turns her head enough to bite at his pec. “I think we’re pretty spectacular.”

“Granted. And I have the best girlfriend in the whole world.” Two worlds, and all the rest, Peter thinks but doesn’t add. “You think she’ll go for it?”

“If not, I trust her to decline with grace,” Olivia says, and it’s such an accurate assessment that Peter can’t imagine any other outcome. “But I think she will. She’s had really poor luck with dates lately.”

“And?” Peter prompts, because there has to be more.

“And she’s mentioned being in threesomes before. You know, in passing.” Olivia laughs a little. “We were drunk. I might’ve said that I was jealous of her, uh, experience. She might’ve said that she’d be happy to contribute to furthering my education.”

It takes a moment for Peter’s brain to reset. “Okay, wow. And you didn’t jump her right then? Or tell me about it right after?”

“We were drunk,” Olivia repeats, laughing. “ _In vino veritas,_ but not necessarily good judgment. And we had a sacred rule not to repeat anything that was said, unless there was really good reason.” She gives Peter a wide, cheerful smile. “I think this is a good reason.”

“I love your logic.” Peter kisses the tip of her nose. “You should extend the invitation, since you’ve already had the discussion.”

Olivia’s eyebrow goes up, but she kisses him instead of commenting on his reluctance. He just thinks Olivia’s got a better opening, that’s all. She and Astrid have known each other longer, and—

And Peter thinks this particular situation is best negotiated between the two of them, anyway. He’s smart enough to know that. He’s even smart enough to know when it’s time to stop thinking about anyone but the woman in his arms. Like right now.

* * *

Even with Olivia’s certainty, Peter isn’t sure anything actually going to happen until Astrid steps into Olivia’s apartment.

She glances around, smiling at the heavy scent of chocolate and cinnamon in the air, aromas that Peter knew were two of Astrid’s favorites. He’d been entirely in favor of stacking the deck, as it were.

Olivia takes Astrid’s snow-speckled coat, murmuring something too low for Peter to hear, and Astrid laughs under her breath. She glances over to see the sprig of mistletoe Peter had tacked up just above the bedroom doorway. Much smaller and more discreet than Walter’s customary giant spray, and deliberately placed so that only those with a reason to pass beneath it would be required to answer the tradition.

“Subtle,” Astrid says, but she’s smiling, eyes already bright with anticipation. 

Peter finds himself faltering. “Astrid, we’re very... I mean, this is....”

“I know what this is.” Astrid’s voice is assured, amused. “I’m perfectly fine with what this is. Peter, Olivia...” her smile broadens. “I’m happy to enjoy a moment with you, and let it be just that.”

“You are an amazing person, you know that?”

Astrid grins at him. “You’re just saying that because you hope I’ve forgotten it was my turn with the ropes, and we never got round two.”

“That,” Olivia says, “I would pay to see.”

“Maybe later.” Astrid holds out her hands and Olivia takes one, and after a moment Peter answers the cue and moves forward to take her other hand. “Relax, both of you. Offer me some of whatever smells so delicious and we’ll just chill out awhile, okay?”

“I told you,” Olivia says to Peter, ducking to brush a kiss across Astrid’s cheek. “We’re in good hands.”

“Thirsty hands,” Astrid says meaningfully, and Peter laughs and lifts her fingers for a kiss, then releases them.

“Mexican chocolate and cinnamon schnapps?”

“Perfect. Oh, you have the Yule Log on!” Astrid exclaims, catching sight of the television. “I know it’s just suggestion, but I always feel warmer with it in the background.”

“I’ll grab the drinks,” Peter says, and when he comes back from the kitchen with three steaming mugs Olivia and Astrid are already curled up on the couch. They look beautiful together, a study in contrasts.

Astrid smiles her thanks as he hands over her drink. “Olivia tells me you two were thinking of buying a house. What neighborhoods were you looking at?”

The conversation turns into a spirited discussion of the pros and cons of Boston’s suburbs, while the heat from the alcohol and the nonexistent fire sinks into their bones. Astrid is a font of useful information, having done thorough research when she moved to Boston from Pennsylvania.

Peter mostly listens while Astrid and Olivia debate, enjoying the luxury of appreciating the deep V-neck of Astrid’s red sweater, cut lower than the shirts Astrid usually wears to work. He finally glances up, belatedly aware they’ve stopped talking, to see them both smirking at him.

Astrid stands, stretching, and wanders over to stand beneath the mistletoe. “I don’t know about you, but in my family, we always had a tradition of opening a few presents early.” She looks over the both of them, smiling. “I would like to unwrap my presents now.”

Olivia laughs and gets up, moving gracefully to cross the room to Astrid and put the mistletoe to its intended use. Peter watches for a few moments, profoundly turned on, until Olivia’s beckoning fingers draw him into their welcoming embrace.

And later, after Peter and Olivia have taken their turns between Astrid’s legs until she pushed their faces away, Astrid rides him slowly while Olivia’s fingers stroke over Astrid’s skin from behind.

Perhaps, Peter thinks before all thinking becomes impossible, they should consider a bigger bed for the new house. Just for contingencies.

**Author's Note:**

> This confection was built upon much stronger works:
> 
> [ Mistletoe](http://archiveofourown.org/works/304396) by Ziparumpazoo (Peter/Olivia, hint of Olivia/Astrid)  
> [ Matanawa](http://archiveofourown.org/works/220844) by Rainer (Peter/Astrid)  
> [ Singular at the Same Time](http://archiveofourown.org/works/159432) by Mona (Olivia/Astrid)  
> [ Snow and Lights ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/305076) by Elfin (Peter/Olivia)


End file.
